Colette Hellenkamp delves into the complexity of violence in El Salvador, touching on both obstacles and potential pathways to constructing a culture of peace. Her analysis highlights the challenges of outflow migration, socio-economic and power inequalities, governmental ineptitude in addressing root causes of violence, rampant gang activity and organized crime,

Key Words: Nicaragua, Samoza Dictatorship, Latin America, central America, Revolution, Gender Analysis, Violence, Non-Violence

(Not) Learning from the Past Author: Peter Krupa Originally Published at Peace and Conflict Monitor on: 03/15/2006 Category: Editorial Imagine a country with a lot of oil and a lot of poverty, where one political party has control over every public institution. That party is led by a former military

The internal pacification process in much-troubled Colombia has taken an important step forward. The recently concluded agreement between the Government of Colombia and the so-called United Self Defense Forces (AUC – often described as Colombia’s paramilitaries) for the gradual demobilization of the latter has come as a relief to many.

The author argues that if more and more communities in Colombia followed the path of protesting peacefully against the brutal and aggravating conflict, the Comunidades de Paz could well constitute a bottom-up way to peace in a political setting where top-down approaches such as leadership declarations and negotiations have continuously

Camilo Acero discusses the massive, peaceful protests in Colombia which were organized by Oscar Morales through a Facebook group called "One Million Voices Against the FARC." Approximately four million answered the call.

Costa Rica has always emphasized environmental standards, however in the capital city of San Jose, this respect for the environment is hard to find. However, Fabrice Gernigon found one Costa Rican woman who didn't wait for new Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla to initiate cleaner policies for San Jose.

Ecuador has long championed the struggle against colonialism and criticized exploitative neoliberal policies in Latin America, however, the government's continued support of resource extraction on Indigenous lands have led them to repress legitimate protest movements, and to violate key legal documents including the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous

The Bolivian President has promoted a true transition: A constitutional reform, which introduces elements of direct democracy and allows for the postulation of independent candidates in municipal elections, the systematic depolitization of public posts, the ratification of reasonable and realistic agreements (which reconstructs the confidence in negotiation), the rejection to

Originally published by Carlos Goés at Instituto Mercado Popular. Translated by Pedro Henrique L. do Nascimento